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The New York Giants overhauled a huge portion of their defense this offseason, particularly at defensive tackle and inside linebacker.
First-year coach John Harbaugh will oversee a defense that features 45.2 percent new players.
That doesnt even include the potential to have three new specialists.
Advertisement As training camp approaches, heres one thought on all of the new faces and the returning players on defense and special teams: Defensive linemen DJ Reader Even when Dexter Lawrence wasnt producing at an All-Pro level, he could still be counted on to draw double teams to free up teammates.
After trading Lawrence to the Bengals, the Giants targeted Reader, who led the NFL in double-team rate last season.
Reader is nowhere near Lawrence as a pass rusher, but the 11th-year veteran should be a suitable replacement as a run defender.
Shelby Harris Harris joined Reader as a post-draft veteran defensive tackle signing.
Harris aligns mostly as a three-technique to complement Reader at nose tackle.
Like Reader, the 34-year-old Harris is more of a run-stuffer at this point of his career.
Roy Robertson-Harris The Giants have resisted putting Robertson-Harris on injured reserve after he tore his Achilles in a May 21 OTA practice.
Harbaugh said theyre holding off on that season-ending transaction because Robertson-Harris could return late in the season.
Theres precedent, as Giants safety ArDarius Washington tore his Achilles last May as a member of the Ravens and returned in Week 15.
The question is if it will be worth preserving a spot on the 90-man roster until cut day for Robertson-Harris, who was due to start but isnt a difference-maker.
Darius Alexander Remarkably, Alexander is the longest-tenured healthy defensive tackle on the roster.
The 2025 third-round pick will have a prime opportunity to start alongside veterans Reader and Harris in the Giants base 3-4 defense.
Alexanders 3.5 sacks in a limited role as a rookie generate optimism for his pass-rush potential, but hell need to be much better on a down-to-down basis if his role is going to expand.
Leki Fotu Beyond Reader and Harris, the Giants loaded up on cheap veteran defensive tackles this offseason.
Fotu appeared to be the highest on the depth chart among that group in the spring, getting first-team reps when Harris was absent from voluntary workouts.
Advertisement Bobby Jamison-Travis Jamison-Travis was projected to go undrafted, but the Giants liked the 6-foot-3, 328-pounder enough to take him in the sixth round.
Jamison-Travis figures to get reps in the Giants defensive line rotation because of the groups lack of depth.
Josh Tupou Tupou is another veteran defensive tackle added to the mix after the draft.
Tupou could compete with Fotu for a backup job.
Tupou spent most of the past two seasons on the Ravens practice squad, appearing in six games over that stretch.
Sam Roberts Roberts was an intriguing signing on a minimum contract because of his production in a small sample size last season, recording 18 tackles while playing just 102 snaps for the Falcons.
Theres nothing from Roberts previous three seasons to suggest that level of production is sustainable, and he was limited to five games last season by a knee injury.
Roberts missed the spring after undergoing offseason surgery, but Harbaugh expects him to be ready for training camp.
Zacch Pickens The Giants claimed Pickens off waivers from the Chiefs after the draft as part of their restocking of the defensive line room.
A third-round pick by the Bears in 2023, Pickens spent most of last season on the Chiefs practice squad.
Hell join the crowded competition for a backup defensive tackle spot.
C.J.
Ravenell The Giants claimed Ravenell off waivers on Tuesday to continue two offseason trends.
He became the 10th defensive tackle added to the roster this offseason, and hes another player with ties to Harbaugh.
Ravenell signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and spent his entire rookie season on Baltimores practice squad.
Ravenell was waived on cut day last year and claimed by the Titans, appearing in 14 games for new Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
Advertisement Anquin Barnes Jr.
A four-star recruit, Barnes started his college career at Alabama.
He barely played in three years at Alabama before transferring to Colorado, where his production was modest.
Barnes college career suggests he wont make it in the NFL, but the Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent to get a closer look at a prospect once viewed as having big potential.
Ben Barten Barten turned heads by pumping out 33 bench-press reps at Wisconsins pro day.
That strength made the 6-foot-5, 330-pounder a force against the run.
Hell likely battle Barnes for a spot on the practice squad.
Outside linebackers Brian Burns With Lawrence traded and linebacker Bobby Okereke released, Burns is the clear leader of the defense.
The eighth-year veteran has all the requisite traits to be the face of the defense hes productive, works hard and has an engaging personality.
The 28-year-old has continued to mature and has stepped up his work in the community over the past year.
Burns, who recently raised $100,000 for his charity through a celebrity softball game, seems like a lock to be the Giants Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee this season.
Abdul Carter Carters rookie season is a study in the box score vs.
advanced stats.
The box score shows an underwhelming 4.5 sacks (a half sack through the first 12 games), but the advanced stats reveal a disruptive presence who had the most quick pressures (a pressure in under 2.5 seconds) and ranked 11th among edge defenders in total pressures.
The eye test lined up with the advanced stats, as Carter displayed an explosiveness off the edge that suggests a breakout second season is coming.
The key will be Carter becoming more committed to doing everything it takes to be a great player, something he started to do late last season after multiple benchings for missing meetings.
Kayvon Thibodeaux The Giants took trade calls on Thibodeaux this offseason, but they were never looking to give him away, so they kept him when the best offer was a fourth-round pick.
It seems likely Thibodeaux will be elsewhere next year based on the Giants investment in Burns and Carter.
But the Steelers showed this offseason a team can pay three edge rushers when they gave third edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year, $100 million extension.
The Steelers are already paying TJ Watt ($41 million per year) and Alex Highsmith ($17 million per year).
The Giants have some wiggle room if they want to commit to Thibodeaux, since Carter cant be extended until after the 2027 season while Burns is signed through 2028.
Chauncey Golston Signing Golston to a three-year, $18 million contract in free agency last year was a smart move to add depth at outside linebacker.
But the selection of Carter with the No.
3 pick in the 2025 draft squeezed Golstons role.
With the Giants needing to get Burns, Carter and Thibodeaux on the field, there wasnt as much opportunity to use Golston as an interior rusher on passing downs as initially planned.
It didnt help that Golston missed seven of the first 11 games with ankle and neck injuries.
Golston settled into a role, playing roughly 40 percent of the snaps down the stretch, but that came with Thibodeaux sidelined by a shoulder injury.
Its hard to see many snaps for Golston if the top three outside linebackers are healthy, but he still represents quality depth at a reasonable price tag.
Caleb Murphy The Giants claimed Murphy off waivers in Week 16 last season, but then made him a healthy scratch for the final three games.
The Giants didnt give Murphy a restricted free-agent tender, but they did re-sign him to a one-year minimum contract with no guaranteed money.
Murphy will need to excel on special teams to have a shot at making the roster.
Advertisement Khalid Kareem Kareem, who has appeared in only 18 games over the past five seasons, signed a one-year minimum contract with the Giants after the draft.
It was odd that Kareem stayed with the top edge rushers (Burns, Carter and Thibodeaux) during special teams periods in the spring.
Special teams appears to be Kareems only path to a roster spot, so it was surprising he wasnt participating in those drills.
Trace Ford Ford flashed last summer as an undrafted rookie, so it was surprising he didnt last on the Giants practice squad initially.
He eventually signed to the practice squad in Week 11, and hell aim to keep that spot in his second season.
Inside linebackers Tremaine Edmunds Edmunds has been one of the most productive linebackers in the league since getting picked by the Bills in the first round of the 2018 draft.
Edmunds ranks eighth overall in tackles, first in interceptions among linebackers and first in passes defended among linebackers since entering the league.
Edmunds is only 28 despite having eight years of NFL experience, so he should remain productive in New York.
Arvell Reese Reese said his plan as a rookie was to be seen and not heard.
That understated personality made a good first impression on veteran teammates.
The Giants have loaded up on talented players with big personalities in recent drafts.
Reese seems like a low-maintenance first-round pick who will let his play do the talking.
Micah McFadden The Lisfranc foot injury McFadden suffered in Week 1 last season was a brutal blow.
But it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Giants, as the injury suppressed McFaddens value, enabling the Giants to re-sign him to a one-year, $3.75 million contract.
After years of spotty linebacker depth, the Giants now have McFadden as a reliable backup behind Edmunds and Reese.
Jack Kelly Kellys college production 15 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons at BYU jump off the page.
But college stats dont always translate to the NFL.
For instance, former Giants linebacker Carter Coughlin tallied 14 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss in his final two college seasons.
Carter barely played defense in five seasons with the Giants, but he hung around due to his special teams ability.
Kelly will likely need to follow the same path to stick with the Giants.
Darius Muasau Giants brass was high on Muasau last offseason.
Those feelings should have dissipated after watching Muasau start 11 games.
The 2024 sixth-round pick will need to stand out on special teams to remain on the roster.
Advertisement Zaire Barnes Barnes is a sleeper for a roster spot due to his special teams ability.
The Giants didnt tender Barnes as a restricted free agent, but he secured $250,000 guaranteed in his one-year minimum contract.
He also got $400,000 in incentives added to his contract based on defensive playing time.
Cam Jones Harbaugh said Jones missed the end of the offseason program because he rolled his ankle while moving boxes when he relocated to New York.
Jones will be ready for training camp, where he will compete with Muasau and Barnes for a special teams role.
Cornerbacks Paulson Adebo Adebos ball production prompted the Giants to give him a three-year, $54 million contract last offseason.
That production was lacking in Adebos first season in New York, as he had just one interception and eight passes defended in 12 games.
He tallied seven interceptions and 28 passes defended in 22 games over the previous two seasons.
The hope is that Adebo will be more comfortable in new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilsons system, which will unlock his ball-hawking skills.
Greg Newsome The Giants gave Newsome a one-year, $8 million contract in hopes that the 26-year-old will turn his career around.
A first-round pick by the Browns in 2021, Newsome lost his starting job early in the 2024 season.
He was traded to the Jaguars early last season and struggled while splitting snaps in Jacksonville.
Newsome is penciled in as the starting corner opposite Adebo, but hell need to fend off Deonte Banks and Colton Hood for the job.
Dru Phillips Phillips struggled in his second season, even getting benched during a Week 11 loss.
He was flagged for nine penalties fifth most among defensive backs and was picked on in coverage.
Phillips physical run defense will appeal to the new coaching staff, and he was the first-team slot corner during the spring, but he could face a challenge for his job from ArDarius Washington.
Deonte Banks The dream is that the new coaching staff will turn every underperforming player around.
Thats unrealistic, but chances are the new staff will get through to one or two disappointing players.
It would be huge if Banks is one of those players because he has the physical traits to be a quality corner.
The problem is he hasnt shown any of the other necessary traits during his first three seasons.
The challenge for Banks will be consistency and physicality when the real football starts in training camp after performing well during a glorified passing camp in the spring.
Colton Hood Hoods nomadic college journey will become common in the NIL/transfer portal era.
Hood began his career at Auburn, where his father, uncle and older brother played.
He redshirted as a freshman and then transferred to Colorado.
He was the third corner at Colorado behind Travis Hunter, who was the No.
2 pick in the 2025 draft, and DJ McKinney.
Hood then transferred to Tennessee, where he became a starter and developed into a second-round pick.
Art Green Green is the unheralded player with the strongest claim to a roster spot because of his value on special teams.
Green didnt play a snap on defense last season, but that doesnt matter due to his impact on the kicking game.
The two punt return touchdowns the Giants allowed last season came while Green was on injured reserve.
Advertisement Nic Jones Jones is another backup corner whose special teams acumen will boost his chances of making the roster.
Jones has the added benefit of being a slot corner, so he could add value as depth at that spot.
Korie Black Black had an adventurous rookie season, getting cut by the Giants after cut day and electing to join the Jets practice squad.
The Giants poached Black back from the Jets in Week 8, and he was immediately thrown into the mix due to injuries at corner.
Black had an unfortunate tendency to get beat for incredible touchdown catches, but he mostly held his own for a seventh-round rookie.
Hell need to excel on special teams to earn a roster spot this season.
Jarrick Bernard-Converse The Giants claimed Bernard-Converse off waivers in Week 9 when they were short on corners, but he barely played before spending a stretch late in the season on the practice squad.
Its hard to see a path to a roster spot for Bernard-Converse considering the special teams ability of the backup corners ahead of him on the depth chart.
Safeties Jevon Holland Through one season in New York, Holland looks like the typical free-agent overpay.
The Giants made Holland the ninth-highest-paid safety in the NFL with a three-year, $45.3 million contract last offseason, overlooking his declining play in Miami and the Dolphins indifference to the departure of a homegrown 25-year-old.
Its impossible to separate the Holland signing from the free-agent departure of Xavier McKinney for a four-year, $67 million contract with the Packers the previous year.
McKinney has 10 interceptions in two seasons in Green Bay.
Holland has six interceptions in five NFL seasons.
Tyler Nubin Nubins role shifted late last season, as he started mostly lining up in the box and rarely played deep safety.
That change better fits Nubins skill set because he has been a strong run defender near the line of scrimmage but has allowed big plays due to poor angles from deep.
Nubin was back to playing a more conventional safety role during the spring, so it will be interesting to see if he can handle that role in the new defense.
ArDarius Washington Washington will be a Swiss Army knife, capable of playing safety, the slot and linebacker on passing downs.
Washington has a history with Harbaugh, Wilson and secondary coach Donald DAlesio.
He could push Phillips or Nubin for starting jobs, or he could be moved all over the field in sub packages.
Jason Pinnock Pinnock returns to the Giants as an ideal backup.
Hes young (27) and cheap ($1.26 million cap hit), but he has significant experience (39 starts over the past three seasons).
The Giants know Pinnock can start serviceably if needed, but theyre hoping their starters step up and hes able to focus on special teams.
Advertisement Elijah Campbell Campbell has played 1,231 special teams snaps and 296 defensive snaps in his six-year career.
Hell battle other special teamers for a roster spot.
Beau Brade Brade has a history with Harbaugh, signing with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and appearing in 11 games as a rookie.
The Ravens waived Brade on cut day last year, but hoped hed land on their practice squad.
The Giants disrupted that plan by claiming the 24-year-old.
That history will only help so much, as Brade spent the spring with the third-team defense.
Raheem Layne Layne has spent most of the past two years on the Giants practice squad, earning promotions to the active roster late in each season.
A similar fate appears to be his best possible outcome, as the Giants have beefed up their safety depth.
Specialists K Dominic Zvada Zvada enters training camp as the favorite to win the kicking job after going 13-for-13 on field goals in open practices this spring.
Harbaugh wont hesitate to give the job to an undrafted rookie.
Harbaugh tabbed Justin Tucker as the Ravens kicker as an undrafted free agent in 2012, and he went on to become arguably the best kicker in NFL history.
K Ben Sauls Sauls survived the spring, but his perfect kicking in the final three games of last season is a distant memory.
Sauls made just 19-of-36 field goals in practices open to the media during the offseason program.
Harbaugh expressed confidence that Sauls can fix the technique error that led to the inaccuracy, but the second-year pro would need to be lights out in training camp to seriously push for the kicker job.
P Jordan Stout Stout followed Harbaugh from Baltimore to become the highest-paid punter in the NFL with a three-year, $12.3 million contract.
Selected by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Stout is coming off the best season of his career, leading the NFL with a 44.9-yard net average.
He should be a major upgrade over the inconsistent Jamie Gillan, who produced a 38.0-yard net average last season.
LS Ben Mann Mann outlasted veteran Zach Triner in a long-snapper position battle during the spring, but the undrafted rookie doesnt have the job yet.
The Giants easily could bring back Triner or add another veteran if Mann falters during the preseason.